NETEASE Games, the developer behind the mobile MOBA Marvel Super War and battle royale Rules of Survival, made waves in the last couple of days following their teaser for upcoming mobile tactical FPS, Project M.
The description of their teaser video goes: “Project M is an ultimate, free-to-play mobile FPS, made for tactical shooter fans.”
It continues: “[Project M] is a 5v5 competitive first-person shooter game set in a near-future sci-fi world. Intense PVP competition! Project M features an exciting shooting experience and unique hero abilities to create more tactical opportunities. Exciting and precise battle experience! Aim, Fire — Boom!”
Valorant inspired?
Project M takes what one could call “massive inspiration” from Riot Game’s tactical FPS Valorant. Everything from the agents, agents’ skills, map look, and a bit of the gun design call to the mind the free-to-play shooter released by Riot last year.
Even the name harkens to the early days of Valorant, which was codenamed Project A.
The trailer’s “Sharp Gunplay” description even looks like a play on words on the "precise gunplay" phrase used by Valorant’s Executive Producer Anna “Supercakes” Donlon during the game's initial preview.
The resemblance to Valorant is uncanny, with some gamers already labeling the game as a “Valorant knockoff.” Many have pointed this out on Twitter, especially Valorant fan accounts.
Others are excited about the game's promise to fill that hero-shooter gap in the mobile market.
Whatever the prevailing opinion on the game, NetEase has beaten Riot Games to the punch on launching a tactical hero-shooter on mobile.
Last June, the Los Angeles developer (owned by another Chinese gaming giant, Tencent) announced that they were in the process of developing a mobile port for Valorant.
How can you play Project M?
Project M had its initial closed beta testing was last August 4 to 6, with no word yet on the next schedule. But a few beta testers have uploaded a few clips of the gameplay on Youtube.
As of writing time, the game is not available for download nor pre-register on the Google PlayStore. Project M, notes that the initial beta testing was limited to 1000 slots. But the game information isn’t available on NetEase’s global website. However, Project M’s Youtube page along with the teaser are still up.
The last time a game too much inspiration from Riot Games, Tencent took legal action. In 2016, it filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Moonton (then Shanghai Moonton) for copying aspects of League of Legends for their mobile MOBA, Mobile Legends. The case was settled in 2018 for a sum of $2.9 million.
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